After going 624 days without watching their team play in Acker Gym, Chico State's men's basketball fans were thrilled to see them back in action Wednesday night against Academy of Art. The Wildcats' 71-61 win was not the most beautiful display of basketball. But Chico State men's basketball was back in Acker Gym. And that was the story of the evening.
 
Those fans got to see Isaiah Brooks again, leading the team in scoring with 15 points while becoming just the 13^th Wildcat ever to eclipse 250 career assists. They got to see Malik Duffy drill a trio of 3-pointers and bag a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. They saw Kevin Warren confound the Urban Knights defense, drawing nine fouls on the way to a 14-point, 7-rebound performance. They were treated to Kelvin Wright Jr.'s career-high 13 rebounds and eight points. They witnessed Colby Orr's 10-point, 4-assist effort off the bench in place of Joshua Hamilton, who played only six minutes due to foul trouble. They were treated to Brennan Wheeler's team-best plus/minus of +14 in nine minutes of action, along with the bigger role Joshua Curls has carved out for himself off the bench. They also witnessed the home debuts of freshmen Isaiah Holm and Evan Oliver.
 
They'll get another chance to take it all in next Tuesday when Chico State hosts Pacific Union at 7 p.m. Until then, it's a safe bet that Head Coach Greg Clink and his staff will be looking for ways to unlock this team's full offensive potential.
 
The Wildcats scored well early, racing to a 32-21 lead behind a balanced attack in which seven different players made baskets in the first 15 minutes. They led by 11 again, 53-42, after Wright scored inside with 15:24 to play. Chico State went 12:25 without a field goal after that. They never lost the lead, however, thanks to the stifling defense that has steered them to a 3-0 start.
 
Chico State, ranked No. 19 in the D2SIDA Division II Men's Basketball Media Poll, limited Academy of Art (now 2-1) to just three made field goals during that same stretch of time. The Urban Knights had cut the lead to three before Duffy drilled a deep 3-pointer with 2:59 remaining. On the other end, Warren swiped a steal and went coast to coast for a thunderous slam that made it an eight point game that was never particularly close after that.
 
The Wildcats are now 6-0 all time against the Urban Knights, including 3-0 in Acker Gym. They also improved to 30-5 at home against non-conference opponents during Clink's 14-year tenure.
 
Links to streaming video, audio, and live stats for Tuesday's game are all available on the schedule page and calendar section at www.chicowildcats.com. The game will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY. Please review the Chico State Basketball Ticket Information and Venue Policies prior to attending a game or purchasing tickets.

An incredible slam dunk from #11 Levin Warren!! Chico takes the win 71-61 pic.twitter.com/GhMJCndt5x

— Chico Wildcats (@ChicoWildcats) November 18, 2021